But a company called Terracycle is on a crusade to reduce waste from all the summer picnics, sports events and all-out parties that produce the hundreds of cups, wrappers, straws, bags, bottles, cans and plastic utensils that take a toll on the environment. They call their waste-reducing and collecting efforts brigades, and you can learn how to take part at www.terracycle.net. “One key aspect of not being wasteful is only using what you need,” said Megan Yarnall, senior publicist for the New Jersey-based organization. “Afterward, people can look at what they have and investigate how they can re-use it.”

A set of New Jersey Wal-Mart parking lots now have a way to turn consumer product waste into profits. (Well, a little pocket change, anyway.)  Terracycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  has installed what they call "Store Collection Systems," a 20-foot trailer that accepts all kinds of packaging that can't be recycled in the normal blue bin outside your house. Then they take the mostly plastic waste—like Elmer’s glue bottles, toothpaste tubes, Capri Sun drink pouches—and turn them into products to resell in stores and online. They make mostly bags, pouches and coolers, but a few other items like picture frames and fertilizer, too.

A set of New Jersey Wal-Mart parking lots now have a way to turn consumer product waste into profits. (Well, a little pocket change, anyway.)  Terracycle <http://www.terracycle.net/>  has installed what they call "Store Collection Systems," a 20-foot trailer that accepts all kinds of packaging that can't be recycled in the normal blue bin outside your house. Then they take the mostly plastic waste—like Elmer’s glue bottles, toothpaste tubes, Capri Sun drink pouches—and turn them into products to resell in stores and online. They make mostly bags, pouches and coolers, but a few other items like picture frames and fertilizer, too.

HAWKS ... Starting April 5th, and for a limited time only during April, nearly 60 TerraCycle products will be available in every Walmart across the country in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Usually you have to order them online, so this is super cool. These are the products that they're making with the stuff YOU save. So keep on bringing all of your empty drink pouches, chip/cookie bags, candy/energy bar wrappers, Lunchable containers, Kashi product packaging, Elmer's Glue bottles and sticks, Scotch tape cores, Aveeno tubes, and Colgate toothpaste boxes! OUR contest (to earn your teacher a bag, your class a recycled art activity, and three top collecting students a pencil bag) will go through the second week in May. The Terracycle products will only be in Walmart THIS month!